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Fingerprints are good because they replace ZERO security. Most people don't PIN lock their phones. Finger Print lock is too convenient not to use.

It is meant as a deterrent to common thieves, and works well as such. A robber isn't going to grab your phone, ask for a nice clear print, and then run home to his laser printer and latex (and you could remote wipe the device in the mean time anyway).

If its the government you're worried about...well, if they have physical access to your device they probably have you in custody and can compel you to unlock it anyway, or just use existing forensic tools and warrants to get what they want. Even then we're talking about the unlikely scenario of you being arrested and having anything more interesting on your phone than funny cat pictures.

I'm trying to imagine a "real world" scenario where TouchID is less secure than a 4 digit passcode or no security at all...and I got nothing.

Pattern lock is hardly secure considering they can see the smudge on your screen. And the NSA has said they can easily get into any Android device.

TouchID is still harder to trick than that. It's meant to deter common thieves, not James Bond. If the government has your phone they can easily compel you to unlock it or use existing forensic tools combined with warrants to your cellular provider.

I'm paying $98/month (which includes $20/month for a no-contract iPhone 5) for unlimited talk/text/data, full device insurance, and their Jump upgrade plan that allows for phone upgrades every 6 months.

I live in Reno and LTE data speed is usually between 20 - 33 Mbps download and ~8 Mbps upload.

Google PlayStore does NOT use https for actual downloads (check your own WiFi logs). So in theory, if you were connected to an insecure/public WiFi network someone could intercept your download request and replace it with a compromised download using available WiFi auditing tools.

EGSonikku (519478) writes "According to this article at Blue Box, hackers have uncovered the Android Master key, which can be used to infect any Android device sold in the last 4 years with malware and data mining tools."Link to Original Source